BMW’s coupe de grace

What do you get when you cross James Bond’s BMW with a station wagon to give it some much needed cargo space? Throw in a 3.0-liter, 225 hp engine, too. A rather unique looking yet still high performing vehicle known as the Z3 Coupe.

With an upgraded engine from the previous version’s 193 hp, 2.8 liter, six, the 2001 incarnation of the Coupe has plenty of power, zipping from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.0 seconds and boasting a top speed of 240 km/h. Not bad for what feels more like an "everyday car" rather than a "weekends only sports car." The problem with sports cars is that many of them are just not practical to use on a daily basis. The ride is too hard, the car too small or just not comfortable enough to drive through Manila’s everyday traffic. The Z3 Coupe is as comfortable in traffic — and we certainly had our fair share during our test drive — as it is on a flat straight red lining at 6,500 rpm.

The Coupe’s ride and overall feel are deceptive, feeling more like a bigger car with a longer wheelbase. You don’t sense the true power from under the hood until you look at your speedometer and realize you are already going over 100 km/h in just a few seconds. That’s when you forget that you are in a coupe as opposed to a true sports car. In typical Bimmer fashion, it’s somewhere in between the refinement of a Mercedes and the raw adrenaline rush of a Porsche — call it "sporty luxury."

Perhaps the Coupe’s biggest draw is the extra cargo room it yields with enough space for even two golf bags in the back. Try that with your Mercedes Benz SLK or Porsche Boxster! The Harman Kardon sound system delivers great sounds in the quiet and comfortable cabin — especially because the Coupe has a hard top instead of a noisier convertible soft top — and the seats and interiors are generously covered with leather and a matte chrome finish.

Perhaps the most important feature of these "if you have to ask you can’t afford it" vehicles is safety. We took the test car through hard brakes from 100 km/h to zero and the Coupe with its 225 ZR 17 tires (45 series in front and 40 in the rear) stayed perfectly straight and allowed comfortable steering through the braking.

After my little dream ride was over and after I had returned the vehicle to its home in PGA Cars, all I could do was reminisce and wonder when someone would give me one of these machines for my birthday…or Christmas…or any other occasion. Maybe if I ask nicely, the BMW people at PGA Cars will lend me one on a semi-permanent basis. At least for now, the only way I can live my Bimmer dreams is vicariously by watching their videos on their website. Probably the best one was directed by Guy Ritchie featuring a surprise guest star…and I don’t mean the 530i (www.bmwusa.com).

Magic: The Gathering 2001 Asia Pacific Championships

Congratulations are in order for Francis Profeta and Felix Gonzales who finished in the money respectively placing 25th and 26th and led the five-man Philippine contingent to the $50,000 2001 Magic: The Gathering Asia Pacific Championship. Other members included Philippine National Champion Rey Estacio, Felix Gonzales and Bayani Manansala. The invitation-only tournament featured 114 players from 11 countries and was held at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last June 22 to 24, 2001 (For more information, call The Hobby Cafe, 3F Robinson’s Galleria at 634-89-82 or check out the website at www.wizards.com/magic.)

Gamenagame.Com

Check out an awesome website at www.gamenagame.com. You can play online versions of Dama, Chess, Pusoy Dos, Reversi and everyone’s all-time favorite — Game of the Generals. They have a complete ranking system which tracks wins and losses, players of the month and other records that allow closet gamers like me some anonymous bragging rights.

Thanks go to PGA Cars’ president Miguel Coyiuto and general manager Miguelito Jose for arranging a few minutes of motoring bliss in Metro Manila’s otherwise overcrowded streets. One of Manila’s best-kept secrets is the excellent food prepared by the Switzerland-trained chefs at the Carrera M Cafe on the 2nd floor of PGA Cars.

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For comments, ideas, recommendations or criticisms, e-mail me at omniumg@yahoo.com..